Readme.txt

Andl is A New Database Language. See http://andl.org.
Andl is a New Database Language designed to replace SQL and then go beyond.
Andl is a full programming language with an advanced type system; it is
relationally complete and has higher order queries; and it has platform
independent interfacing. So Andl does two things well: perform advanced
relational queries and build an application data model.
First, Andl can perform relational queries at or beyond the capabilities
of any SQL dialect. It can do all the ordinary things like select, where
and join but it can also do generative queries, self-joins, complex
aggregations, subtotals and running totals (a bit like SQL recursive
common table expressions and windowing).
And Andl can provide a complete application backend for any kind of user
interface on any platform. It can easily be used to program a data model
as a set of tables just like SQL, but including all the access routines,
updating logic and interfaces. These can be accessed on any platform:
mobile, desktop, web or cloud. The user interface can be written in
any popular language or technology, such as Java, Dot Net, JavaScript
and using any available communications method.
Andl has its own in-memory database and a persistence mechanism for simple
tasks and experimentation. It can also use a relational database backend,
with Sqlite and now Postgres in the latest release.
Sample programs are included to demonstrate these capabilities.
FIRST DO THIS
=============
Grab the binary release and unzip it somewhere.
Go to the Sample folder in a command prompt and run the following commands.
C>runsamples.bat -- set up the sample databases, compile and run programs
C>runwb.bat -- run the workbench (next section)
If you like to use the command line, then try these:
C>run /? -- view the command line arguments
C>run -- run test.andl, a tiny script
C>run sample1.andl
C>run sample2.andl
C>run sample3.andl
C>run sample4.andl
C>run sample5.andl
C>run sample6.andl
The default program is 'test.andl' and the default catalog is 'db'.
Andl reads program source code, compiles and executes the program and then stores
compiled operators, types and global variables in a catalog, where they can be used by
other programs. In the Workbench you can see the contents of the catalog.
Here are the sample programs.
sample1.andl -- scalar expressions
sample2.andl -- basic relational expressions
sample3.andl -- advanced relational expresions
sample4.andl -- more complex examples
sample5.andl -- ordering and grouping (like SQL Window)
sample6.andl -- subtyping (work in progress)
Also take a look at:
DbixCdSample.andl -- converted SQL sample
family_tree.andl -- self-join using functions
SPPsample1.andl -- more converted SQL
recursive.andl -- self-joins using while (like SQL CTE recursive)
100doors.andl -- the 100 doors puzzle
99bottles.andl -- the 99 bottles lyrics
fibonacci.andl -- 100 fibonacci numbers - fast!
mandelbrot.andl -- mandelbrot set using while
sudoku-orig.andl -- sudoku solver using while
chinook.andl -- popular relational database of songs (SQL only)
You can run all the samples like this.
runsamples
runsamples sql -- uses Sqlite
runsamples pg -- requires a default installation of Postgres
WORKBENCH
=========
The Workbench is an interactive program to view a database amd its catalog, and
to execute queries.
1. Choose a database and see the relations and contents of its catalog. Choose Workbench.
2. The Andl program 'workbench.andl' is loaded by default. Press F5 to run it.
3. Press F7 to reload the catalog and F5 to run it again.
4. Or try Ctrt+N for a new program and Ctrl+F7 for a new catalog.
Function keys
-------------
F5 to run the current program in its entirety.
Select text and F5 to run part of a program as a query.
F7 to reload the catalog (you get errors if you try to define something twice).
Ctrl+F7 to load a new empty catalog.
SQLITE
======
Each of the samples can be run using Sqlite, as shown. All relations are stored in
Sqlite as native tables. Apart from performance and two unimplemented features,
the behaviour is identical. If you like, you can use the sqlite3.exe program
to verify that this is so.
C>sqlite3.exe <name>.sqandl ".dump"
THRIFT
======
Thrift is a platform-agnostic interface and remote procedure call technology.
More details at http://thrift.apache.org/.
Andl has a built-in capability to generate Thrift interfaces, and the Andl.Thrift
project is a Thrift server. The ThriftTest folder contains samples for the
Thrift implementation.
ThriftTest contains a client-server sample based on Apache Thrift. Run it like this:
cd ThriftTest
run-thrift.bat
run-thrift.bat sql -- Sqlite
ThriftSupplierPart contains another client-server sample based on Apache Thrift. Run it like this:
cd ThriftSupplierPart
run-thriftsp.bat
run-thriftsp.bat sql -- Sqlite
TEST SUITE
==========
Test contains the test suite. Run them like this:
cd Test
runsuite.bat
runsuite.bat sql -- Sqlite
runsuite.bat pg -- requires a default installation of Postgres
HOST
====
Andl.Host is a server for a native Web API and a REPL interface based on WCF. When
run it is self-testing. It also contains a mini-website that is a REPL client,
which should be launced in a local browser. Run it like this:
cd Host
run-host.bat
run-host.bat sql -- Sqlite
SERVER
======
Andl.Server is a server for a JSON and REST Web API based on ASP.NET MVC. When
run it launches a browser to show sample programs.
For JSON and REST Web API the backend is Andl and the client is a JavaScript
Single Page Application. The amount of code to produce a working application
is small.
The REPL page is not yet working.
BUILDING ANDL
=============
The source code can be downloaded from https://github.com/davidandl/Andl.
The project should build 'out of the box' in Visual Studio 2015 with the .NET
Framework 4.5, and possibly earlier versions. It builds an executable program
that compiles and runs Andl programs, and several other components.
The batch file build-rls.bat clones the repository and builds using MSBUILD.
LICENCE
=======
This version of Andl is free for any kind of experimental use, especially
helping to make it better. For now, the licence does not grant rights for
distribution or commercial use. That will have to wait until I can choose the
right licence, which depends a lot on who might want to use it.
Andl is built using a variety of components including Sqlite, Newtonsoft Json,
Pegasus, Avalon Edit, Thrift, Jquery, Knockout. The reader is referred to those
products for relevant licence terms.
Please contact me with any questions or suggestions at david@andl.org.